Chain



Oct. 21 1924.

C.- W. A. KOELKEBECK CHAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Filed July 12 1920 Oct; 21 1924.

1,512,609 C. W. A. KOELKEBECK CHAIN 'Filed July 12. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. fit. a

Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES cm w. A. xoELxEBEcx, or rrr'rsnunon, rENNsY LvANrA.

CHAIN.

Application ma m 12, 1920. Serial mi. 385,584.

'- To all it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CARL W.- AQKOELKE- BECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsyl- .vania, have invented a new and useful Improveme'nt in Chains, of which the following is a full, clear, ones being had to, the accompanying drawings,hforming part of this specification, in

Figure'l is a diagrammatic view illustrating one application of my improved chain;

Figure 2 is a' plan view of the same of chain link embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a side viewof the same; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4,

showing a modification;

Figures 6 and 7 are views partly in plan and partly inhorizontal section showing other modifications;

Figure 8 is a plan view and Figure 9 a side view of a link embodyinganother modithe transmission of fication; V Figure 10 is a view partly in'plan and partly in horizontal section of a portion of the chain showing still another construction; and s in Figure 10.

My invention has relation to chains, or link belts, which are capable of use bothfor power and as conveyors. It has been established that chains may be used more economically for transmission of power than other forms of belts, and the Figure 11 is a side view of the parts shown- .present invention relates to improvements in chains of the character particularly adapted for use where the motion of the chain has a varying angleto the axis of the shaft.

Referrin to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown a number of different embodiments of my invention, I have illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the useof my improved chain in the case of two connected shafts whose axes other.

In these two figures, the shaft indicated at 2 may be considered the driving shaft, 3 the driven shaft, and 4. a chain connecting said shafts and. embodying my invention, this chain passin over the toothed or sprocket re at. right angles to each wheels 5 an 6, located on the respective shafts. In order to. permit the use of m invention in connection with shafts of and exact description, refer diameter of the wheel 6.

causes the path of the chain to be curved 1 angular arrangement, the direction ofmotion of the shafts and chain mustbe as indicated by the arrows in said Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted from Figure 'lthat the 60 chain in moving toward the upper sprocket wheel 6 diverges from the'lowest part of wheel 5, to. an amount equal to the pitch his divergence just above the horizontal axis of the wheel 5. It is to take care of this necessary condition that my invention has been particularly provided; I Figure 3 is a plan view showing one form the link, the two side or flank members 8,

and a tie or cross member which in the form shown in these figures comprises-a transverse pin 9, seated in the side members and a hook-bearing member 10, rotatably mounted upon said pin between the side members. 89

To facilitate the subsequent description and correct understanding of the invention, I hereinafter refer to the line XX of Figure 3 as the.longitudinal axis of the link and chain, to the line YY in said figure as the axis of the hook perpendicular to the axis of the link, and to the line Z-Z as the axis of the cross member which is also perpendicular to theaxis of the In order to permit the chain to make the link.

sidewise twist under the conditions, such as shown in Figure 1, the cross member of the link is provided with a curved or convex bearing surface for engagement with the hook of the next adjacent link. The bearing surfaces both of the hook'and cross member may be ofvarious forms. In Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, I have shown the cross member as being of barrel shape, the convex from v surface beingstruck on radii awa the axis Z.Z, In Figures 3,4 an 5, the interior bearing surface of the hook is shown ashavinga corresponding curvature- In order to prevent disengagementof the A hooks, they are shown asprovided with keepers. These keepers may consist of a pin across the jaws of the hook, as shown at 11 in Figure 4, or a plate laced between said jaws, as shown at 12 in igure 5'. l

In Figure 6, I have illustrated another construction in which the side members of links 13 are connected at each end by pin which I employ for this 70 14-and bearing member 15, similar to the corresponding member shown in Figure 3,

while the hook 16 is formed on a separate intermediate link 17,.the member 17 bein designed to carry a hook at each end and these hooks alternating with the links. In

thisfigure also, I have shown the bearing surfaces '17. inside the hook as being straight, but with sufiicient clearance to pen mit the hooks and links to assume difi'erent angular positions with respect to each other.

.In this construction, as well as in those shown in the figures previously referred to,

links, and is formed in two parts, each partbeing engaged with the cross member by slipping it over one .of the ends thereof, and

-. chain.

the two members then being riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to each other. In this re I have also shown the pins 14; as being extended beyond the links 13 a sufiicient distance to enable rollers 18 to be mounted thereon, and which may be rovided, if desired, for the purpose of re ucing the friction caused by the travel of the Such rollers may be provided at every or'thev may be placed at any desired istance apart, as may be most advisable in any particular case.

In the several forms of my invention now to be described, the cross member of the link instead of being barrel-shaped, has an a proximately spherical bearing surface, t e center of the sphere being on the axes Z--Z and X-X before referred to. I

In'the construction shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cross member 19 having the sphericalportion 20 is mounted on the pin or rivet 21. In this construction,'the bearing' surfaces of the sphere and of the hook :32 may be machined, so as to'obtain a very accurate bearing between their V In the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11, the cross members 26 are in the form of spheres,- and each pfthe twospart hook spherical bea links 27 (similar to that shown in Figure 7) is provided with bushings 28 which fit the and which can be renewed, if desire when worn out.

The advantages of the present invention arise from mounting the bearing member of the'link to rotate upon a in instead of forming said bearing integra with the link as heretofore. With this construction, when the link passes around the sprocket wheel the bearing member rotates on the pin instead of the link rotating upon the bearing member. The force required, therefore, to turn the link on the axis Z-Z is materially less than if the link turned on the bearing member; because when the bearing member turns on the pin, frictional resistance to turnin acts through a lever arm equal to the ra ius of the pin instead of through a lever arm equal to the radius of the bearing member at its point of maximum diameter. With my improved chain the usual pivoting movement between links occurs between the pin and the bearing member mounted thereon, while universal movementis provided between the bearing member and the ortion of the link engaging the same there y providing a highly efiicient chain or connecting non-parallel non-intersecting shafts and for '8 other types of drives.

I claim:

i i 1. In a chain, a plurality of links having connections rmitting universal movement each of, sai connections comprisin a pin, a bearing member having a curved aring surface rotatablv mounted on said pin for rotation about the axis of said pin, and a portion engaging the bearing member and universally rotatable about the surface thereof, substantially as described.

2. A, drive chain .comprisin a pair of ,cpnnected links having a plura ity of cooperating-bearin surfaces, one bearing surface being adapt to provide a relative movet in one plane between the links, and

other bearing surface bein adapted to Ixetween the rovide universal movement iin' ks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. I i CARL W. A. KOELKEBECK. V 

